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The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon (2023) movie poster

Timeline

The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon (2023) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2023 · 134 mins · Chinese
Echo score 77
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Directed by
Wong Ching-Po
Starring
Gingle Wang, Ben Yuen, Ethan Juan, Peggy Tseng, Chien Sheng, Lee Lee-Zen

The arrogant, third most-wanted criminal in Taiwan, decides to get rid of the top two competitors and crowns himself the most-wanted criminal before dying.

Thriller Crime Drama Cast, crew & box office
On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (14)
  3. 3 How it worked in The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon
  4. 4 Timeline questions answered
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Every angle
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14 events in order · contains spoilers

The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon (2023) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Funeral infiltration and first assassination

    Kui-lin infiltrates the funeral and quietly eliminates the high-ranking gang boss among the mourners, severing his leadership in a single brutal act. The hit is bold and planned to look like nothing more than a crowd tragedy, immediately signaling the start of Kui-lin's deadly arc.

    When
    Day of the funeral
    Where
    Funeral, Taiwan

  2. Pursuit by Detective Chen Hui and loss of an eye

    Chen Hui, a police detective, surveils the funeral and spots Kui-lin fleeing the scene. The two fighters clash in a brutal chase, and Kui-lin overpowers Chen Hui, costing the detective an eye.

    When
    Immediately after the funeral attack
    Where
    Funeral vicinity

  3. Kui-lin escapes into the night

    Kui-lin slips away from the pursuing officers and vanishes into the night, evading capture. The city wakes to rumors of the mysterious hitman with a new agenda.

    When
    Shortly after the fight
    Where
    City streets

  4. Cancer diagnosis and resolve to surrender

    Four years pass and Dr. Chang informs Kui-lin that he has stage IV lung cancer. Confronted with a terminal prognosis, he chooses to surrender to the police and seek atonement for his past.

    When
    Four years later
    Where
    Unknown

  5. Turning himself in and learning his ranking

    Kui-lin goes to a nearby police station to surrender, but the officers do not recognize him and tell him to wait. He then discovers he ranks third on the country’s most-wanted list, behind Hongkie and Bullhead, and resolves to eliminate them in his final days.

    When
    That day
    Where
    Police station

  6. Stalking Hongkie at Taichung hair salon

    Kui-lin spends the night spying from a hotel across the street, watching Hongkie manipulate Hsiao-mei in the Taichung hair salon. Hongkie finally notices him and misreads his presence as romantic interest, heightening the danger.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Taichung hair salon vicinity

  7. Final confrontation with Hongkie and rescue of Hsiao-mei

    Kui-lin confronts Hongkie when he attempts to assault Hsiao-mei, disrupting the operation and triggering a brutal struggle. The fight drives them from the salon to a deserted warehouse, where Kui-lin delivers the fatal blow and finishes Hongkie's men, then leaves Hsiao-mei by the sea and tells her to report that he killed Hongkie.

    When
    Following the salon confrontation
    Where
    Taichung and a deserted warehouse

  8. Bullhead's trail to New Soul Society; black vomit and revelation

    Kui-lin tracks Bullhead to the New Soul Society on Penghu and attends His Holiness's lecture. He vomits black liquid and collapses; His Holiness reveals Bullhead is long dead and shows his grave, prompting Kui-lin to question his newly chosen path.

    When
    During the lecture
    Where
    New Soul Society, Penghu

  9. Life in the society and cancer remission

    Kui-lin starts a new life within the society, giving away his money and possessions to be incinerated. For a time, his cancer mysteriously goes into remission and he enjoys a sense of peaceful normalization.

    When
    After joining
    Where
    New Soul Society

  10. Poisoning suspicion and hidden life

    A young boy's illness raises Kui-lin's suspicion of poisoning within the society. He secretly probes His Holiness's private quarters and discovers a trapdoor to a lavish apartment and a room filled with confiscated possessions.

    When
    During the boy's initiation period
    Where
    His Holiness's quarters

  11. Initiation conflict; burial and escape

    Kui-lin confronts His Holiness during the initiation ceremony for the boy's mother; the mother commits suicide, and Kui-lin is subdued, stabbed, and buried alive by the cultists. He miraculously survives and later escapes from the coffin.

    When
    During initiation
    Where
    New Soul Society compound

  12. Bullhead's truth revealed; return, and killings; surrender

    Kui-lin escapes, digs up Bullhead's grave and finds it empty except for a photo, revealing that His Holiness is Bullhead. He returns to the commune, exposes the truth, and kills His Holiness; when the cult turns to resist, Kui-lin shoots the remaining adherents who stay. Having completed his mission, he surrenders to Chen Hui and is arrested.

    When
    Following burial and revelation
    Where
    New Soul Society; commune

  13. Prison visit and deception revealed by Dr. Chang

    Dr. Chang visits Kui-lin in prison and reveals she is dying of lung cancer; she admits she lied to persuade him to end his violent career, not foreseeing how things would unfold. She notes that Kui-lin has become famous for his lethal reputation and he finds a sense of peace.

    When
    During imprisonment
    Where
    Prison

  14. Beard shaving and final execution

    Chen Hui invites Hsiao-mei to prison to shave Kui-lin's beard one last time; Kui-lin is executed by gunfire and meets his end.

    When
    Final
    Where
    Prison

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 10:22

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deception · contains spoilers

How It Worked in The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon

How the deception in The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon really worked, step by step: what each move looked like at the time, what was actually going on and how one step made the next possible.

Deception 5 steps

Dr. Chang's False Cancer Diagnosis

Dr. Chang, the underground physician who had kept Kui-lin hidden, delivered a false stage IV lung cancer diagnosis supported by an X-ray that was actually her own, using her trusted medical role to persuade Kui-lin to abandon his violent path.

1Underground physicianposition establishestrust2Looked like something else at the timeX-ray presented asKui-lin's own3Looked like something else at the timeFalse stage IV lungcancer diagnosisdelivered4Kui-lin acts on thebelief he is dying5Deception revealed inprison
WhoLeads to3Reveals1Looked like something else
Read the 5 steps as text
  1. 1

    Underground physician position establishes trust

    Dr. Chang · Chen Kui-lin

    Dr. Chang serves as the underground physician who has kept Kui-lin hidden, placing her in the position of the medical authority Kui-lin relies on.

  2. 2

    X-ray presented as Kui-lin's own

    Dr. Chang · Chen Kui-lin

    What it looked like: The X-ray appears to show Kui-lin's own cancerous lungs.

    Dr. Chang shows Kui-lin an X-ray that she later reveals was hers all along, not his.

  3. 3

    False stage IV lung cancer diagnosis delivered

    Dr. Chang · Chen Kui-lin

    What it looked like: Kui-lin believes he has been diagnosed with terminal stage IV lung cancer.

    Dr. Chang tells Kui-lin that he has stage IV lung cancer, a diagnosis that is later revealed to be part of her deception.

  4. 4

    Kui-lin acts on the belief he is dying

    Chen Kui-lin

    Gripped by urgency from the diagnosis, Kui-lin decides to surrender at a police station and pursues a final act of reckoning against the two criminals ranked above him on the most-wanted list.

  5. 5

    Deception revealed in prison

    Dr. Chang · Chen Kui-lin

    After Kui-lin surrenders and is imprisoned, Dr. Chang visits and reveals that she is the one dying of lung cancer and that the X-ray she showed him was hers, a deception meant to persuade him to abandon his violent path.

Timeline questions answered

The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon (2023): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Kui-lin decide to take down Hongkie and Bullhead after learning he has cancer?

When Kui-lin attempts to surrender at the police station, he discovers he is only ranked third on Taiwan's most-wanted list, behind Hongkie and Bullhead. This revelation angers him, he wants to be remembered as the most notorious criminal before he dies. The terminal cancer diagnosis gives him a deadline, so he decides to eliminate the top two criminals as his final legacy.

  • Hongkie
  • Bullhead
  • most-wanted
  • cancer
  • surrender
Q2

How does Kui-lin kill Hongkie at the hair salon?

Kui-lin spends a night watching Hongkie from a hotel across the street. When Hongkie attempts to assault Hsiao-mei, the salon owner, Kui-lin intervenes. A violent confrontation ensues, moving from the salon to a deserted warehouse where Kui-lin delivers the fatal blow. He then kills Hongkie's remaining men, rescues Hsiao-mei, and leaves her by the sea with instructions to tell police that he killed Hongkie.

  • Hongkie
  • hair salon
  • warehouse
  • Hsiao-mei
  • kill
Q3

What is the New Soul Society and why does Kui-lin join it?

The New Soul Society is a religious commune in Penghu led by a figure called His Holiness. After eliminating Hongkie, Kui-lin tracks Bullhead there. He attends a lecture, collapses from vomiting black liquid, and is told Bullhead died years ago. Intrigued by the promise of spiritual renewal and apparent cancer remission, Kui-lin surrenders his money and possessions to the society, embracing a new life of pseudo-redemption.

  • New Soul Society
  • Penghu
  • cult
  • His Holiness
  • commune
Q4

What does the black vomit mean in the film?

The black vomit appears twice, once when Kui-lin collapses during His Holiness's lecture, and again when a young boy gets sick at the commune. Initially presented as a sign of spiritual cleansing or healing, it is later revealed to be a symptom of poisoning. The cult is actually poisoning members to manipulate them and steal their possessions.

  • black vomit
  • poisoning
  • cult
  • illness
  • His Holiness
Q5

How does Kui-lin escape from being buried alive?

After being subdued, stabbed, and buried alive by the cultists during the boy's mother's initiation ceremony, Kui-lin somehow manages to survive and escape from the coffin. The film does not explicitly show the escape mechanism, only that he emerges alive and later digs up Bullhead's grave to discover the truth about His Holiness.

  • buried alive
  • escape
  • coffin
  • cult
  • survival
Q6

Who is His Holiness really and how does Kui-lin discover the truth?

His Holiness is actually Bullhead, the second most-wanted criminal Kui-lin came to eliminate. After escaping burial, Kui-lin digs up Bullhead's grave and finds it empty except for a photograph of Bullhead with his mother. This proves His Holiness has been hiding his true identity. Kui-lin returns to expose him and kills him.

  • His Holiness
  • Bullhead
  • identity
  • reveal
  • cult leader
Q7

Why did Dr. Chang lie to Kui-lin about having cancer?

Dr. Chang, the underground physician who treated Kui-lin, reveals in prison that she was the one dying of lung cancer all along, not Kui-lin. She showed him her own X-ray to manipulate him into surrendering and abandoning his violent path. She never anticipated that Kui-lin would instead go on a killing spree against the top criminals, nor did she foresee the tragic consequences that followed.

  • Dr. Chang
  • cancer
  • lie
  • X-ray
  • deception
  • terminal
Q8

Why does Kui-lin surrender to Chen Hui after killing the top criminals?

After eliminating both Hongkie and Bullhead (His Holiness), Kui-lin has completed his self-appointed mission to become the most-wanted. He intentionally turns himself in to Detective Chen Hui, the same officer he blinded years earlier. His surrender marks the end of his violent vendetta and sets up his eventual execution.

  • surrender
  • Chen Hui
  • arrest
  • mission complete
  • execution
Q9

What happens to Hsiao-mei after Kui-lin rescues her?

After killing Hongkie, Kui-lin rescues Hsiao-mei from the salon and leaves her by the sea, instructing her to report to police that he killed Hongkie. At the film's end, Chen Hui invites Hsiao-mei to visit Kui-lin in prison, where she shaves his beard in a final quiet ritual, showing the human connection he maintained despite his violence.

  • Hsiao-mei
  • rescue
  • sea
  • beard
  • prison visit
Q10

What happens to Kui-lin at the end of the film?

After completing his mission and surrendering, Kui-lin is imprisoned and visited by Dr. Chang, who reveals her deception about the cancer. Chen Hui then brings Hsiao-mei to shave his beard one last time. The film ends with Kui-lin receiving the death penalty and being executed by firearm, bringing his violent life to a definitive, tragic close.

  • execution
  • death penalty
  • ending
  • prison
  • conclusion

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about urgent redemption like The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon

Characters racing against a terminal clock to find meaning through desperate, often violent, acts. If you liked The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon, you'll appreciate these movies where a protagonist's terminal diagnosis forces a frantic and violent quest for meaning. These films share a dark tone, high intensity, and a bittersweet or bleak ending feel, exploring what a person does with their final days.

  • desperate
  • urgent
  • brutal
  • somber
  • fatalistic
  • terminal
  • Tone: dark, desperate, somber
  • Pacing: fast, urgent
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically follow a linear, goal-oriented path driven by a protagonist's fatal diagnosis. This external deadline creates immense urgency, compressing a lifetime of ambition or atonement into a short, violent burst of activity. The narrative conflict often pits the character's desire for a meaningful end against the harsh realities of their world, leading to a final, fatalistic resolution.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their core premise of a 'deadline-driven' life. They share a specific emotional mix: the desperation of limited time, the brutality of the chosen path, and the somber reflection on a life lived violently. The pacing is fast and urgent, mirroring the protagonist's race against death.

Redeemer movie poster

Redeemer

2015
Death Sentence movie poster

Death Sentence

2007
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No Tears for the Dead

2014
A Prayer for the Dying movie poster

A Prayer for the Dying

1987
24 Hours to Live movie poster

24 Hours to Live

2017
Until Death movie poster

Until Death

2007
The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon movie poster

The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon

2023
Death Notice movie poster

Death Notice

2023

Gritty crime thrillers about underworld ambition like The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon

Gritty, no-nonsense tales of ambition and violence as characters fight to the top of a criminal hierarchy. Fans of The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon will enjoy these movies about violent ambition within the criminal underworld. These similar stories feature a fast pace, high intensity, and a dark, gritty tone, following antiheroes as they brutally compete for power and notoriety.

  • gritty
  • brutal
  • no-nonsense
  • violent
  • ambitious
  • underworld
  • Tone: dark, gritty, brutal
  • Pacing: fast, action-packed
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a driven, often arrogant protagonist targeting those above them in a criminal pecking order. The story is a series of escalating, violent confrontations and strategic maneuvers. The central conflict is the character's ambition versus the established power structure, often exploring the hollow nature of the victory and the violent legacy left behind.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread are united by their focus on the brutal mechanics of gaining power in a criminal world. They share a specific vibe: gritty realism, a no-nonsense approach to violence, and a dark perspective on ambition. The pacing is consistently fast, driven by action and the protagonist's singular focus.

Born to Raise Hell movie poster

Born to Raise Hell

2010
The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil movie poster

The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil

2019
Bad Blood movie poster

Bad Blood

2010
Avengement movie poster

Avengement

2019
High Crime movie poster

High Crime

1973
Criminal Audition movie poster

Criminal Audition

2019
Wanted movie poster

Wanted

2011
Sinners and Saints movie poster

Sinners and Saints

2010

Every angle

The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon (2023) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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